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Geopolitics – the bedrock of the new investment order
Geopolitics and the Global Economy: Risks, Shifts and Investment Implications
Geopolitical risk has moved from the margins to the centre of boardrooms and investment committees around the world — and with good reason.
In this Lowy Institute discussion, leading geopolitical analysts and senior investment figures came together to examine the forces reshaping the global economy and the implications for financial markets and investment portfolios. With conflict in Europe and the Middle East, escalating US–China competition, and 2024 marking an extraordinary year of elections across more than 60 countries representing nearly half the world's population, the panel explored how business and investment leaders are navigating an era of profound uncertainty.
The conversation ranged across major paradigm shifts — including inflation regimes, climate and decarbonisation, technology disruption, populism, deglobalisation, and changing asset class correlations — and their consequences for Australia, Asia, and the world.
International Security Program Director Sam Roggeveen convened the discussion with Lowy Institute Research Director Hervé Lemahieu, Barrenjoey Chief Economist Jo Masters, and Future Fund Chief Investment Officer Ben Samild, with questions from the audience.
About the speakers
Sam Roggeveen is Director of the Lowy Institute's International Security Program and author of The Echidna Strategy: Australia's Search for Power and Peace (La Trobe University Press, 2023).
Hervé Lemahieu is Research Director at the Lowy Institute and a leading analyst of Asian power dynamics and geopolitical risk.
Jo Masters is Chief Economist at Barrenjoey, one of Australia's leading independent investment banks.
Ben Samild is Chief Investment Officer at the Future Fund, Australia's sovereign wealth fund.
Featuring
Sam Roggeveen
Sam Roggeveen is Program Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program. He is the author of The Echidna Strategy: Australia's Search for Power and Peace (Opens in new window), published by La Trobe University Press in 2023.
Hervé Lemahieu
Hervé Lemahieu was a senior researcher at the Lowy Institute and served as Director of Research from 2021 to 2025.
Topics
